Linen

The history of linen is a richly woven tale that dates to around 8000 B.C. in the area now known as Switzerland.It was there primitive lake dwellers began spinning flax fibers into sturdy linen fishing nets, fabric and rope. Thousands of years later, researchers sifting through the remains of these Stone Age encampments uncovered fragments of linen in every stage of manufacture: straw, seeds, fibers, rope and fabric.From its utilitarian beginnings, the linen industry flourished into an aesthetic trade.

If I have pounded one message into my kids' heads it's this: Your job is to figure out your gifts and use them to make the world a better place. I try to model that behavior. And I am going to do that today beginning with — cocktail napkins. These are on my mind because the holidays are approaching, and many of us will be standing around at parties all dressed up holding ice-filled drinks in sweaty glasses with cocktail napkins that have turned into mushy clumps, and, come to think of it, feel a lot like the clammy, limp handshake of that guy in data processing.

If clothes make the man, then the sartorial maxim for the bed is no different: even the most humble mattress can be peacock proud when dressed in clean, crisp, classy duds.And while there are all manner of flashy threads to complement the bed's wardrobe - deep pile feather beds and mattress pads, shiny duvets, rich blankets, handsomely detailed bedspreads - the most important garment is the sheet.Think of the sheet set as the essential basic of the bed: the classic white shirt of the linen closet.

In its heyday, the King George Inn , with its white linen tablecloths, monogrammed napkins and photos of England's royals, was the place for a rustic yet elegant dinner, social gathering or special event. Expensive cars filled the parking lot and patrons spilled onto a covered patio. But that had not been the case for the last several years, according to owner Cliff McDermott, who said declining business and revenue forced him last week to close the historic inn he ran for 42 years.

There are no illusions in Ed Fox's shop at Walt Disney World. There are no anima trons, no goofy, grinning characters, no artificial cheer. Ed Fox's shop is where Disney comes clean - the laundry.There's not much magic to it, just a lot of work: 400 people on duty 365 days a year, two full shifts a day, with a little linen left over for a third shift.Disney's dirty linen gets done in a nondescript, two-story building the size of a city block. Labeled ''Laundry and Dry Cleaning,'' it has a logo that looks at first like just a group of bubbles, but on reflection resolves itself into a soapy Mickey head.

JAMES LINEN, 75, who rose to president of Time Inc. in a career that spanned four decades with the publishing company, died Monday. Linen began his career with Time magazine in 1934, when he took a job on its editorial staff after graduating from college.

Leroy Linen may think twice about making his next illegal U-turn. That is, if he ever gets back his drivers license - after 633 suspensions. When the 40-year-old driver was stopped Saturday night for making the turn, police discovered he didn't have a license - but he did have a torrent of suspensions recorded over five years, said Sgt. Edward Caro, a police spokesman. That makes Linen the city's reigning suspension champ. Linen was charged with felony aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle and issued a citation for driving without a license, Caro said.

JAMES A. LINEN, 51, executive vice president of Media General Inc. and head of the company's broadcast operations, died Sunday in London after he was hit by a van while jogging. A native of Scranton, Pa., and a 1960 graduate of Yale University, Linen joined Media General, which publishes the Richmond Times-Dispatch and The Richmond News Leader, in October 1977 as a vice president.

SAN DIEGO -- A California Highway Patrol officer was killed Sunday morning when a car driven by a drunken Marine slammed into his patrol car, authorities said. Stephen Linen, 31, was issuing a ticket on Interstate 5 in San Diego County when he was struck, said Officer Tom Kerns, a CHP spokesman. Linen had been a patrolman for six years. Marine Lance Cpl. Jerome A. Bates, 20, was arrested after failing a sobriety test, Kerns said.

Though I knew better, I couldn't wait to use the pretty new table linens that arrived in that day's mail. "Made for every day," the website assured. That was all the encouragement I needed. I spread the crisp cotton placemats, which came in pretty patterns of fern orange, fleur-de-lis basil and scrolling lemon, paired them with not-matching napkins, stood back and admired my handiwork. I probably should have saved the new linens for company or when serving something un-messy like pretzel sticks, but delay of gratification has never been my long suit.

Bealls Outlet will open late this month in an old 30,000 square-foot Linens ‘n Things, an anchor at Orlando Square. The plaza is on West Sand Lake Rd at the corner of Orange Blossom Trail. The new tenants was announced by the Orlando office of CB Richard Ellis (CBRE), which represented the landlord Kitson & Partners. Home-goods seller Linens 'n Things filed for bankruptcy and announced liquidation sales at stores around the country in 2008.

Don't give up on your resolution to get organized this year just yet. The March edition of ShopSmart features 10 ideas that will help you get and stay organized if your little heart desires. Featuring common household items used in creative ways, the magazine offers free and inexpensive solutions so that money is no longer the barrier between you and a tidy home. A few examples include shoe boxes, which can be wrapped (contact paper, wallpaper or fabric will do) and used to store office and craft supplies; plastic linen bags, which can be used to store nonwool sweaters and out-of-season clothing and linens; and Lazy Susans, which are great for toiletries, cleaning supplies and lawn-and-garden supplies in the garage.

Question: With Linens 'n Things Inc. liquidating, I would think that the stock of Bed Bath & Beyond Inc. would be up. Why isn't it? -- P.L., via the Internet Answer: Although the premier home-furnishing retailer has gained market share from the bankruptcy filing of that primary competitor, the deeply discounted closeout at Linens 'n Things has had a temporary negative financial effect. The primary story for all retailers is the poor overall economy and cost-consciousness of consumers.

Linens Holding Co., owner of bankrupt retailer Linens 'n Things, said it will close five of its nine Central Florida locations as part of a previously announced plan to shutter poor-performing stores. The move will impact about 100 employees, according to a company spokeswoman. Hobbled by the housing downturn and clipped by competition from discounters, home-goods seller Linens 'n Things filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in May and said at that time it would close 120 stores nationwide. Since then, the company said it may need to close an additional 87 stores.

FRESNO, Calif. -- A good night's sleep may rest primarily on the mattress quality, but comfortable sheets certainly do their part to promote peaceful slumber. The main priorities when searching for bedsheets are that they should be comfortable and durable, says Steve Carwile, president of Vivetique, a mattress manufacturer in Arcadia, Calif. The company also makes comforters, mattress pads and bedsheets out of organic cotton and other natural materials. If you hold a sheet up to the light and can see through it, you should pass on it, he says.

AMERICAN EXPRESS Co. said Tuesday it was replacing a top executive at its travel-related unit, a troubled sector that includes the company's core charge card and traveler's check business. Jonathan Linen will become president and chief operating officer of its Travel Related Services unit. He will replace Richard Thoman, who was the unit's vice chairman.

Just before leaving for France to celebrate our 30th wedding anniversary, my husband and I learned about the engagement of our youngest daughter. Driving through the beautiful small villages in Normandy weeks later afforded us the opportunity to find the perfect engagement gift, as well as to discover human kindness and universal respect. Chateau de Bouceel, tucked within the shadows of Mont-St.-Michel near Vergoncey, was our home for two nights, and the Comte and Comtesse Regis de Roquefeuil-Cahuzac generously opened their home to us. I was impressed by the beautiful linen we slept on and asked Madame Roquefeuil about it. When she explained the history and tradition behind the monogrammed linen, I knew I was on a mission of romantic proportions.

Icons of fall, leaves are a favorite motif for many seasonal home accessories, especially on the table. At this time of year, you're likely to find an abundance of leaf patterns in autumnal hues -- pumpkin, squash, russet, cinnamon, sage green, golden yellow. They're comfort colors -- hues that echo those of the Thanksgiving table. But besides the seasonal sprucing, leaves beyond the familiar maple shape are becoming as popular as flowers in home dM-icor. Ginkgos, palms and ferns have been the darlings of designers, boldly decorating pillows, bedding and rugs.

You're planning a new master suite, and you can't wait to enjoy all that extra room. It's going to be beautiful and spacious, but will it be functional? Paying attention to those details that enhance our daily routines -- the little things that can easily go unnoticed -- can make the difference between an awkward and an optimal space. Now's your chance to do a little problem-solving and incorporate some handy features you might not realize you have been missing. Here are a few ideas to get you started.